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Buddy Baer
American |birth_date= |death_date= |birth_place=Denver, Colorado, U.S. |home=Sacramento, California, U.S. |style=Orthodox |statlabel1=Total Fights |statvalue1=58 |statlabel2=Wins |statvalue2=51 |statlabel3=KO |statvalue3=47 |statlabel4=Losses |statvalue4=7 |statlabel5=Draws |statvalue5=0 |statlabel6=No Contest |statvalue6=0 |brother=Max Baer |}} Jacob Henry "Buddy" Baer (June 11, 1915 – July 18, 1986) was an American boxer. In 2003, Baer was chosen for the Ring Magazine's list of 100 greatest punchers of all time. He is the younger brother of boxing heavyweight champion Max Baer, and the uncle of Max Baer, Jr., best known as "Jethro" on the 1960's sitcom The Beverly Hillbillies. Baer, like his nephew, also pursued acting. Boxing career Standing at 6' 6½" (1.99 m), Baer fought from 1934 to 1942 and was one of the best punchers of his time. He knocked out colorful contender Tony Galento (Galento quit in the 7th round claiming to have broken his left hand). The highlight of his boxing career occurred in his unsuccessful attempts to win the heavyweight boxing championship from Joe Louis. In their first fight, Baer caught Louis with a big left hook in the first round and knocked the champion out of the ring. Louis, however, climbed back in before the count of ten, and eventually won the fight on a disqualification. Baer claimed that he had been hit, and knocked down, after the bell in the seventh round, and refused to come out for the next round. The referee therefore disqualified him. In their rematch, Louis knocked Baer out in the first. Baer later remarked "The only way I could have beaten Louis that night was with a baseball bat." His record was 52-7 with 46 knockouts. After boxing Buddy retired after the Louis bout and joined the U.S. Armed Forces during World War II, as did his brother Max. After the war Buddy appeared in movies and TV, owned a bar in Sacramento with Fred Cullincini and worked as a marshal at the California State Legislature. Buddy appeared in several films. In 1949, Baer had a bit role in the Abbott and Costello romp, Africa Screams. He also appeared in Flame of Araby, Quo Vadis (1951 film), Jack and the Beanstalk (1952 film) (another Abbott & Costello film), The Big Sky, Slightly Scarlet (1956 film), Giant from the Unknown, and Snow White and the Three Stooges. 1954 "Jubilee Trail" His television credits include guest roles in: Adventures of Superman (TV series), Captain Midnight, Cheyenne (TV western), Circus Boy, Climax! (TV series), Gunsmoke, Have Gun, Will Travel, Peter Gunn, Rawhide (TV series), Sky King, and The Ed Sullivan Show. Buddy and Max were known as the "professional good guys" or "the genial giants". The Sacramento sports reporter Billy Conlin wrote, "When they died, the 'sweet science' lost two of the sweetest!" Buddy is buried in East Lawn Sierra Hills Memorial Park, Sacramento. References External links * * *Baer Stops Galento in Seventh, Tony Claiming Broken Left Hand *Louis Wins in Seventh Round When Buddy Baer Is Disqualified by Referee *Louis Scores First-Round Knockout Over Buddy Baer in Charily Encounter; Louis Pounds Beer to Canvas Twice for 9-Counts Before Finishing Him in 2:56 Category:1915 births Category:1986 deaths Category:Boxers from California Category:Heavyweight boxers Category:American film actors Category:American television actors